The rest of the story we got slowly. Briefly, it was this. Karen,
having made her protest at being called at such an hour, had put on
a wrapper and pinned up her hair. The light was on. The stewardess
said she heard a curious chopping sound in the main cabin, followed
by a fall, and called Karen's attention to it. The maid, impatient
and drowsy, had said it was probably Mr. Turner falling over
something, and that she hoped she would not meet him. Once or twice,
when he had been drinking, he had made overtures to her, and she
detested him.
The sound outside ceased. It was about five minutes since the bell
had rung, and Karen yawned and sat down on the bed. "I'll let her
ring again," she said. "If she gets in the habit of this sort of
thing, I'm going to leave." The stewardess asked her to put out the
light and let her sleep, and Karen did so. The two women were in
darkness, and the stewardess dozed, for a minute only. She was
awakened by Karen touching her on the shoulder and whispering close
to her ear.
"That beast is out there," she said. "I peered out, and I think he
is sitting on the companion steps. You listen, and if he tries to
stop me I'll call you."
The stewardess was wide awake by that time. She thought perhaps
the bell, instead of coming from Mrs.
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